Seeing the Forest through the Trees
Watercolor and Mixed media on paper mounted on board
wax finish, 30 x 30 inches
My latest watercolor and mixed media (gouache) on paper mounted on board, it is for a group exhibition coming up in February 2013. The painting had to be a forest, I had a line that had to be part of the painting and it had to be 30 x 30 inches. Here are pictures of the step I took, there is also a video at the end of the post where you can see the whole process in a time lapse video.
Some artists will paint their painting on paper before mounting it, I prefer mounting the paper before painting as I stretch the paper at the same time I am mounting it by mounting it wet
You can see a more detailed post about mounting watercolor paper on board here: Mounting watercolor paper on board
Here is the palette I an using on the foliage, various mixes of :Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Green, Russian Blue, Cadmium Orange, Raw Umber (not on the picture).
I then paint all the foliage with the various mixes of green
To paint the tree trunks I am using the same colors with the addition of Permanent Red violet and Burnt Umber.
I paint the smaller trunks in one time, mixing colors directly on the paper.
For the bigger trees I will apply several layers to render the tree texture.
I paint the trunks moving through the picture from left to right.
Once I painted all the elements, I add some darker browns on the trunks to increase contrast.
I am also adding a layer of white gouache diluted in water in some areas of the painting to add light and texture.
Then I splash the finished painting with drips of water, diluted watercolor paint and diluted gouache paint.
I let the paint move and make some adjustments by taking off some paint with a tissue paper
Once the painting has dried , I apply a layer of wax with a soft cloth, then I am using an hair dryer to make that wax layer more even and remove brush strokes.
The finished painting:Seeing the Forest through the Trees
Watercolor and Mixed media on paper mounted on board
wax finish, 30 x 30 inches
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for this lesson! I appreciate it very much. It is inspiring to me as a quilter.
Thanks Linda
Sandrine, that is amazing (the process and the final result). Beautiful work!
Thanks Krista, I am glad you liked it
Sandrine, this is stunning. Your control of the depth of field through colour gradations is masterful. This technique is inspiring. Remarkable piece of art.
Thanks Margo
It was nice meeting you Saturday, I really liked looking at your journal, great sketches and watercolours! Thanks for sending the info about the Bali trip as well.
Inspiring. I just took some shots of east Texas colors. This inspires me to try a little section. Thank you for sharing your talents. Your explanations gives me the courage to give it a try.
Thanks Jaci !
Really beautiful, I love watching you work all speeded up! It looks just like an area in Pacific Spirit Park where I used to walk each day, with all the little spruce and cedar trees growing under the standing firs. Sandrine, I’ve never heard of applying wax to watercolour before. Is there a step one has to do before applying the wax? Thank you for sharing this with the world!
Thanks Gaetanne
I used cold wax medium and just did spread it on the paper with a soft cloth once the painting was dry. A few days after, the wax is completely dry and you can buff it to make it shiny. I like this method, it is more natural, the wax is adding a bit of contrast and richness to the colors and it smells good
Sandrine, thank you. I think you are a fantastic artist. Would you ever consider doing an intensive workshop in January or February? I’m thinking a 5 day in a row type of thing. I live on Gabriola now but I could stay at my parents’ house in N. Van. I bet others would be interested too. My husband used to teach 5 day intensives in photography and they were well attended workshops. But I’m not even sure if your studio allows for that type of thing. Would you let me know? Thanks, you’ve got my email address.
I love the way you did all this. Never thought of adding it to a board tho. that would help when it is so big. And I love the undercolors in your trunks. I use purples and red there too. this is a stunning piece.
peace n abundance,
CheyAnne
cheyannesexton.etsy.com
Thanks CheyAnne
Hey Sandrine,Love the video,Music + of course the Painting,well done!-Mike Wakefield.
Thanks Mike, nice to see you on the blog!
I enjoyed looking at your exhibition at the Lynn valley library
Hello Gaetanne,
That is a good idea, I will think about it. I am only allowed two students at a time in my studio because of the district regulations so I might have to look for a different place.
I will email you if I set up a workshop in the next months, in the meantime you are welcome to come for a cup of tea in my studio if you have a trip planned to the mainland.
See you soon
Sandrine